Radio communication interface module, and its use in a device reading, processing, transmitting and operating on a bar code

Abstract

A two-way radio communication interface module based on a predefined protocol for at least a user application, the module includes at least a radio circuit for transmitting and receiving digital signals and at least a programmable circuit with a radio microcontroller for managing the radio circuit. The radio microcontroller includes a software stack consisting of a first part called protocol stack topped by a second part called applicative abstraction stack, the software stack enabling adaptation based on the protocol between the digital signals and the data and instructions of the application, the applicative abstraction stack enabling at least the translation of the data and instructions of the application into data and instructions based on the protocol for processing in the protocol stack.

1 - 31 . (canceled)  
   
   
       32 . Interface module ( 42 ) for two-way radiocommunication according to the <<Bluetooth®>> protocol for at least one user application having data and instructions to be communicated to an external device, the module including at least one radio electronic circuit ( 39 ,  40 ) for sending and receiving digital signals ( 43 ) and at least one programmable electronic circuit with a radio microcontroller ( 37 ) for managing the radio electronic circuit ( 39 ,  40 ), wherein the radio microcontroller ( 37 ) includes hardware means cooperating with software packages in the form of a software stack formed of a first section so-called protocol stack ( 38 ) topped with a second section so-called applicative abstraction stack ( 32 ), the software stack enabling adaptation according to the protocol between, on the one hand, the digital signals ( 43 ) and, on the other hand, the data and instructions of the user application, the applicative abstraction stack ( 32 ) enabling at least the translation of data and instructions of the user application into a corporate format in data and instructions according to the protocol for processing in the stack in order to enable the development of the application independently from the instructions and formats of the radiocommunication protocol, the module being a single hardware component also storing the user application in the form of a programme and ensuring its realization in the radio microcontroller ( 37 ), the software operation of the module being divided into tasks performed according to priorities, the tasks associated with the management of the radio circuit having higher priority than the execution tasks of the user application.  
   
   
       33 . A module according to  claim 32 , wherein the applicative abstraction stack temporally manages the <<Bluetooth®>> connection mode, the interval of the running of the radio connection being modified according to the use of the module and in the course of time in order to manage the consumption of said module.  
   
   
       34 . A module according to  claim 33 , wherein it includes, on the one hand, a radio printed circuit including an aerial, the radio electronic circuit for sending and receiving in the form of a radio and of a base band integrated circuit and the programmable electronic management circuit in the form of a microcontroller with storage means and, on the other hand, a printed circuit ( 41 ) interconnected with the radio printed circuit including at least one peripheral at least selected amongst: 
 a digital input with possibly a comparator for level or transition detection,    an analogue input with analogue-digital converter with possibly an analogue amplifier with programmable gain or not,    a digital output,    an analogue output with digital-analogue converter,    a voltage controllable regulator or converter,    an up/down counter,    a real time clock,    a charger circuit for battery,    a logic circuit,    a memory,    a specialized programmable logic circuit notably selected amongst a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a digital signal processor or a dedicated circuit, a portion at least of the user application in the form of a programme being then stored in said specialized programmable logic circuit and said specialized programmable logic circuit ensuring then its realization,    the applicative abstraction stack ( 32 ) may moreover comprise corporate software means for processing instructions for retrieving data from the peripheral and/or sending data to the peripheral.    
   
   
       35 . A module according to  claim 34 , wherein it includes a reprogrammable memory as well as means enabling reprogrammation of said memory on the basis of data received by radiocommunication.  
   
   
       36 . A module according to  claim 35 , wherein the user application is in the reprogrammable memory.  
   
   
       37 . A module according to  claim 36 , wherein it is associated within a single box to an electrochemical supply source and at least one connector whereof the pins are linked with at least one interface of the module.  
   
   
       38 . An application of the module according to  claim 37  to the realization of symbol reading pen ( 1 ) support, the pen including in an optical sensor ( 2 ) a light source generating a light beam focused on the support and an optical detector intended to receive and convert the light reflected by the support into electric signals, the pen being stand-alone and including an internal electric power supply, the user application in the form of an operating programme including means for processing the electric signals of the optical detector and interfacing means via the radiocommunication module ensuring at least the transmission of said symbols according to said protocol to a data-processing equipment.  
   
   
       39 . An application according to  claim 38 , wherein the symbols are barcodes.  
   
   
       40 . An application according to  claim 37  to the realization of a writing recognition reading pen, the pen including at least two accelerometers according to two axes X and Y corresponding to the writing plane and generating electric signals, the pen being stand-alone and including an internal electric power supply, the user application in the form of an operating programme including means for processing the electric signals and recognizing the writing, and interfacing means via the radiocommunication module ensuring at least the transmission of said writing according to said protocol to a data processing equipment.  
   
   
       41 . An application according to  claim 37  to the mains electric supply socket controlled by radiocommunication.  
   
   
       42 . A method for reading, processing, transmitting and using a symbol on a support with a reading symbols pen according to  claim 39 , wherein: 
 the symbol is read with the pen,    said electric signals are processed in the interface module to generate digital and/or alpha-digital data,    said digital and/or alpha-digital data are associated with a reader identifier in order to generate a chain of corporate data, and    the chain of corporate data is transmitted in real time to at least one customer equipment including at least a software to carry out a command understandable by said customer equipment.    
   
   
       43 . A method according to  claim 42 , wherein when a customer equipment is not available for reception, the chain of corporate data is stored in a memory of the reading pen.  
   
   
       44 . A method according to  claim 43 , wherein in the customer equipment one associates moreover to the chain of corporate data at least one piece of data of customer equipment type in order to build a computer address depending then on the symbol, on the reader identifier and on the data of equipment type.  
   
   
       45 . A method according to  claim 44 , wherein one implements a correspondence table in order to associate a computer address to the chain of corporate data, possibly associated with at least one piece of data of customer equipment type, the correspondence table being situated in a computer server distinct from the customer equipment.  
   
   
       46 . A method according to  claim 44 , wherein one implements a correspondence table in order to associate a computer address with the chain of corporate data, possibly associated with at least one piece of data of customer equipment type, and that the correspondence table is stored in the customer equipment by selection according to a criterion in a global correspondence table situated in a computer server distinct from the customer equipment, the criterion including at least the reader identifier.  
   
   
       47 . A method according to  claim 46 , wherein one encodes according to an encoding algorithm the digital and/or alpha-digital data before associating it with the reader identifier.  
   
   
       48 . A method according to  claim 46 , wherein the computer address associated with the chain of corporate data is that of a computer server relaying an information request to another computer server.  
   
   
       49 . A method according to  claim 48 , wherein the symbol is a barcode.  
   
   
       50 . A method according to  claim 49 , wherein the support of the symbol is a display screen and that the symbols are barcodes corresponding to a successive temporal chaining of dark and clear surfaces on a display screen.  
   
   
       51 . A method according to  claim 33 , wherein it includes, on the one hand, a radio printed circuit including a reprogrammable memory as well as means enabling reprogrammation of said memory on the basis of data received by radiocommunication.